We at Open Arms to
International Adoption understand the urge to become involved right away can be
overwhelming for many pre-adoptive families. You want to do something immediately that
will get you started on your adoption journey. The web has a wealth of material that can
help you plan your trip as well as adapting after getting back. Try some of the following
sites. (As with everything on the internet, addresses change periodically. Information is
correct as of this writing. Please let us know of
others you may have found that we should post).

Listserv

Listservs are private group e-mail co-operatives that let subscribers share their
experiences and thoughts. There are several about adopting from China that may interest
you. Each focuses on a particular aspect of the experience. If you have trouble accessing
the listservs, check the main Families With Children
From China (FCC) website to see if there have been any changes.

For people thinking about or in the process of adopting APC (A-parents-china)  Most subscribers are from the United States, but there
is fairly strong representation from Canada, the United Kingdom and several other
countries. Issues discussed range from waiting times to paperwork (mostly of interest to
Americans) to health of the children. Subscribe by going to the Onelist website. Available in digest form.

For people who have completed adoptions PAC (post-adopt-china)  This is a sister list to PAC and is mainly geared to
families who have adopted from China. Parents share anecdotes about their children and
also discuss issues including language, health, attachment, and cultural issues. Subscribe
by going to Onelist. Also available in digest form.

For single parents Our Chinese Daughters Foundation  This list focuses on issues related to
their special circumstances. To subscribe send an e-mail to the moderator.

Special needs To join this list go to Onelist and
register as a ONELIST user. After receiving a confirmation message, send a subscribe
message to snadoptchina@onelist.com. If you have trouble subscribing, or questions,
contact Marla Garr or Peg Helminski.

Publications

There are numerous magazines and newsletters in both print and on-line format for those
in the adoption community. The selection below may be of special interest to Canadians.

Orientations — The quarterly newsletter
of FCC–Toronto includes local adoption announcements, adoption stories,
practical information on raising our children, cultural information, and a
schedule of social and educational events in the Toronto area. A subscription to
the newsletter is included with a membership to FCC. The annual dues are $25Cdn.
Contact: FCC Toronto,
P.O. Box 808, Station F, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2N7 or at
www.fcctoronto.org.

Adoption Helper  Founded in 1990, the
quarterly Adoption Helper magazine is $32 per year and is an excellent resource for
Canadians seeking information on Canadian adoption agencies. Available from: Adoption
Helper, Box 1353, Southampton, Ontario N0H 2L0 or www.familyhelper.net.

Post Adoption Helper  Founded in 1997 as a
companion to Adoption Helper magazine. Subscriptions are $28.00 per year from Adoption
Helper, Box 1353, Southampton, Ontario N0H 2L0 or www.familyhelper.net.